In recent years, vehicle manufactures have begun providing telematics systems in some of their vehicles. Telematics refers to the integration of computing, wireless communications, and GPS for sending, receiving and storing information over vast networks. More specifically, the term can refer to automobile systems that provide a variety of emergency and navigational services to motorists. Telematics systems allow drivers to browse the Internet, send and receive e-mails, receive live traffic updates, listen to satellite radio, and perform various other activities. Most of these tasks can be done hands-free through voice recognition.
Current telematics systems include the Ford Sync®, GM/Chevrolet's new infotainment system and On Star®, the Toyoda Entune™, Renault R-Link™, and other systems in luxury vehicles offered by BMW and Audi. These in-vehicle telematics systems are not offered in every vehicle, the hardware cannot be updated as the systems age without removing and replacing the entertainment system, and may not support the particular mobile stations owned by the user. Further, they are typically an added expense to the vehicle and may be cost prohibitive for some drivers. Older, or more inexpensive vehicles, cannot typically be retrofit to include a telematics system.
Hence a need exists for a system that can to act as a telematics system in any vehicle and can easily be removed, upgraded and transferred from vehicle to vehicle.